Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Pettaway.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up in the historic city of Selma, I learned early the importance of community, consciousness, and consistency. A proud graduate of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU), I moved to Atlanta three years ago after early retiring from a K12 education career to pursue my Ph.D. in Education Policy. After witnessing and living through the disparities of the education system in the south, I chose the path of pursing a doctorate in educational policy studies to advocate for systems change through policy that specifically impacts vulnerable communities. I am matriculating through the program at Georgia State University, where I get to study under the incomparable Dr. Joyce King, a matriarch of Black Studies who is an expert in African Diasporic ideals and identities.
Since moving to the Atlanta Metro, I have found an extended family at House of Hope Church (Greater Travelers Rest Missionary Baptist Church) in Decatur, where my pastor is Dr. E. Dewey Smith. Two years ago, I served as the co-chair for the New Leaders Council-Atlanta (NLC) Curriculum and Institute, which “provides emerging leaders with training, resources and a national network of support that encourages true impact.” After which I was selected to serve a two year term as chapter co-director.
I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., initiated in the Gamma Mu Chapter at AAMU.
Since my adolescent years, I have attended and organized community gatherings, served in civic and political caucuses, and championed for improved conditions for teachers and students. I spent a large part of my life serving in the Black church space which gave me the training ground to polish my public speaking, it cultivated my agency to advocate for others, and it help to develop a consciousness for justice.
In December, I got engaged and am presently preparing for married life while finishing up my dissertation. I look to continue to serve as a disruptive and transformative force in Black liberative education within and beyond the classroom.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I note one of the main challenges at present is the challenge of forging ahead in a time where integrity seems to be a lost art. Recognizing the mantle of leadership on my life and submitting to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to guide me is not always easy and can sometimes cause tension in spaces where the values, policy, and practice do not align.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Beyond being a doctoral student in the education field, I am noted as a strategist, event planner, and thought partner. I bring a wealth of professional and academic wisdom, as well as a vast network of religious, political, and community driven leaders and institutions spanning multiple states. People seek my advice and guidance on several contracted services. A people person, I am blessed to bring diverse groups together in order to advance a common cause in education, faith communities, and advocacy.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Helping and serving others make me happy because it extends the ancestral legacy of my family. I am an heir of Black folks who made a difference in Selma and beyond. Judges, mayors, educators, and nurses are in my immediate family tree. I continue their legacy in adaptive ways appropriate for this generation.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candice.pettaway
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicepettaway
